Looking to the future...
ARIZONA LEARNING TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP
of the
GOVERNOR'S STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Helping Arizona K-12 schools effectively use
technology through training and
professional development.

Do you want

• Motivated and energized students?
• More time for teachers to spend with students who really need attention?
• Graduates fully prepared to enter the work force?

ALTP Overview
Long-Term Projects
What This Means to You
Near-Term Projects
Need For Improvement
Accomplishments
Strategies and Objectives
You Become Involved

ALTP Overview

Arizona's Learning Technology Partnership is a stakeholder coalition organization under the umbrella of the Governor's Strategic Partnership for Economic Development (GSPED) that is dedicated to revitalizing learning throughout Arizona with advanced education technologies.

The Learning Technology Partnership vision is that K-12 educational performance in Arizona public schools moves from the 4th to 1st quartile within the next 5 years with radical improvements in skills of teachers and students.

This vision can be realized using

• Computers:
• hardware,
• software tools,
• telecommunications,
• Internet,
• maintenance and
• support

• Technology training for
• teachers and
• administrators, and

• Professional development in curriculum integration for teachers.

Our stakeholders include representatives from

• Business,
• Education, and
• State and local government.

LONG-TERM PROJECTS

• Reenergize the advocacy process to pass legislation to fully fund teacher professional development and technical support.

• Help organize the education and training delivery system within Arizona for technology professional development and training.

• Support school districts to enhance their strategic technology plans and integrate them into a statewide strategic plan.

• Organize and advocate to develop Arizona into an attractive state to transfer the most effective learning technology into K-12 education and for learning technology based companies to prosper.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU

Arizona will have a first-rate K-12 education system that utilizes technology effectively in the classroom, which will lead to

• More motivated and energized students,
• Time for teachers to spend with students who need the attention and
• Graduates fully prepared to enter the work force.

NEAR-TERM PROJECTS

• ALTP will work with the School Facilities Board, staff and consultants to assure that the guidelines and assessment tools for all of Arizona's 1200 schools reflects the need for adequate networked computers in the classroom.

• ALTP will develop and lead a project to assess programs and offerings available to train and professionally develop Arizona’s 50,000 teachers.

• ALTP will assess current training and professional development levels using the Milken-ADE data, along with some primary research. A costing model will be developed that links roll out of computers and infrastructure with the teacher development. Annual costs will be determined based on the model.

• ALTP will initiate a statewide public relations and education program to focus on major stakeholder groups.

• Legislation for 2000 needs to be designed to fund deficiencies in Students FIRST, teacher professional development and technical support. A comprehensive program to educate 90 legislators needs to be initiated.

NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT

Technology is the prime driver behind the transformation from the agrarian age to the industrial age into the information age of today. Computer technology has played an important role in transforming business and work practices.

Computer technology, applied properly, can improve academic performance and graduation rates. A recent Educational Testing Service study shows substantial improvement in student learning when teachers are trained to use technology. Research suggests improvement of two full grade levels (C student becomes an A student) is possible. At the very least, the use of information technology increases the engagement and interest levels of the students. This has the potential to reduce the dropout rate.

• Arizona’s academic performance, test scores and dropout rates are unacceptable.
• Few classrooms have adequate technology.
• Each multimedia computer is on average shared by more than 14 students, while the ideal ratio is 1 to 4.
• Less than half of the classrooms have Internet access.
• Few teachers have more than 10 hours of total training in technology use, while the ideal is at least 40 hours annually.

Conformance to Arizona academic standards requires computer technology in the classroom.

Arizona employers require educated employees who can use the information that fuels the world of work and civic life.

Arizona teachers need continuous professional development to integrate and effectively use technology in their practice.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

ALTP created its learning technology vision for Arizona K-12 education that drove the research, focus groups and creation of a comprehensive statewide strategic plan for instructional technology. Through conferences, speaking engagements, presentations and newspaper articles, ALTP raised public and business expectations.

In 1998, ALTP introduced funding legislation of $168 million a year to fund professional development for 50,000 teachers, technical support for 200 networked computers in each school, a modern multimedia computer for every four students and access to the Internet.

• Result: Equipment and infrastructure for technology was included in Students FIRST legislation for soft capital funding of $40 million a year and facility funding of $350 million a year.

In 1999, ALTP initiated a House bill for $25 million funding for teacher professional development and technical support but failed by one vote.

• Result: The $50 million school M&O funding passed with support from legislators who advocated using part of these funds for professional development and support.

Through ALTP advocacy the Students FIRST School Facilities Board guidelines were approved for one Internet connected and networked multimedia computer for every eight students.

STRATEGIES AND OBJECTIVES

ALTP will achieve its vision by adopting the CEO Forum’s model of a technology-effective classroom over the next four years.

• This classroom includes a ratio of 3 to 6 students per modern networked, multimedia computer linked to the Internet.
• The software supports drill and practice, simulation, creativity and basic productivity.
• Teachers have individualized training and professional development programs and have integrated the use of technology in the curriculum.
• Onsite maintenance and support is provided.

YOU BECOME INVOLVED